Fantasy Basketball Picks 11-17-14
These fantasy basketball picks will carry your team to victory tonight!
Here is the recap from a crazy Friday night. Remember, studs and duds are determined based off of return on salary, not total points.
Studs: LeBron James (52.25), Damian Lillard (51.50), Blake Griffin (35.00), Andrew Bogut (27.75), Stephen Curry (41.25)
Duds: Kyle Korver (1.25), Zach LaVine (6.25), Chris Kaman (15)
Today’s Top Plays
Guard:
Tyreke Evans ($14,250) at Portland – Tyreke is coming off of an impressive stat line of 16/7/6 in just 26 minutes against the Timberwolves, which came on the heels of a 19/11/5 line agains the Lakers. With Anthony Davis locked up against LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers’ 3rd ranked defense against PF, look for Evans to shoulder the load offensively. He could easily triple his salary in a fast-paced matchup that will likely play to his strengths.
Damian Lillard ($16,200) vs New Orleans– Lillard has been an absolute beast over his past three games, averaging 28 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds to go along with 14 3 pointers over that stretch. Tonight he gets the Pelicans, who rank 20th in the NBA against opposing point guards. Lillard showed in last year’s playoffs that he was a force to be reckoned with, and I’m using him as much as possible until his price increases significantly.
Joe Johnson ($12,500) vs Miami – Johnson is always the guy who slips in between the cracks on a big slate of games, and that is the ideal reason to target him. The Heat have struggled mightily over the past week or so, and currently rank at 27th vs SG and 29th vs SF. Regardless of which matchup Johnson draws, it will be a good one. He has averaged 32.6 FP per game, and if he can hit that mark, he will be very near 3X salary value.
Luke Ridnour ($5,000) at Detroit – Ridnour is not a player that I am endorsing highly, however his minimum salary puts him in play. Elfrid Payton has struggled terribly of late, and Ridnour has picked up the slack. He has played 29, 25, and 18 minutes in his last three games, averaging right around 17 FP per contest. Not a flashy play that will pay huge dividends, but he could easily return a solid value in a decent matchup.
Forward:
Jared Sullinger ($12,600) vs Phoenix–As I mentioned a few days ago, the Suns have been the worst in the NBA at defending opposing power forwards, and Sullinger has rounded into form. He has a double-double in each of his last two games, and now draws an even better matchup against the Morris brothers and the Suns. We all know about Sully’s skills on the glass, but he has averaged over 4 assists per game over his past 4 appearances as well, so he is becoming a solid all-around player. At this price, you’ll be thrilled with a 12/10/3 line, which is more than attainable.
LeBron James ($20,850) vs Denver – I know that touting LeBron may seem like a cop out, but it is hard to ignore his production recently. While the Cavaliers have struggled on defense, all LeBron has done is post 61.25, 56.50, and 52.25 FP in his last three games. By the way, the 52.25 was in just 29 minutes against the Hawks. Denver has the talent to keep this one close, and if you are rostering LeBron, you’re hoping that they can do just that. If this game remains within single digits until the fourth quarter, you can go ahead an pencil The King in for at least 40 FP.
Gerald Green ($9,150) at Boston – There hasn’t been a more volatile player in the NBA this season than Gerald Green. His last three games describe it perfectly: 40.50, -0.75, 40.50. Green has a 30.6% usage rate which is good for 9th in the NBA. When he is on the court, he is the focal point of the second team. There likely aren’t any riskier plays on the board, but there are also few with as much upside as Green.
Center:
DeAndre Jordan ($14,700) vs Chicago – Jordan has been a machine down low for the Clippers, and is one of the more under-appreciated big men in the game. He has at least 13 rebounds in each of his past 4 games, and has 12 blocks in his last two. Obviously blocks are a volatile stat, but Jordan always finds a way to be productive. The Bulls rank 18th against centers this season, and I expect Jordan to play a big role, especially because he sees big minutes even when the game is out of hand.